Apparently a very common tale is one told by (amongst others) my father. He used to lecture in physics at a certain institute of technology (now a university), which happens to sit smack bang next door to a railway station somewhere in Hawthorn.

The background: student X failed an exam, and hence a subject, that my father was responsible for.

Head of Department: Student X shall be given a supplementary.Father mine: Yes, that's already been set up.HoD: Student X shall pass the supplementary.Father mine: That remains to be seen.HoD: You misunderstand. Student X shall pass the supplementary.Father mine: That remains to be seen.

Student X sat the supplementary. Father mine failed him again, based upon his (lack of) performance in the supplementary. The head of department overruled the decision.

Guess what. Student X just happened to be a full fee paying student ...

As I said: a very common tale. The only thing that differs between tellings is who tells it, which institution is involved, and the identities of HoD and Student X.

I used to be the Student Coordinator for a small private provider. THe private RTOs tend to be even worse because they are largely still unregulated and not audited often enough. There were students there who were so far below the mandatory attendance levels they should have been sent home via pigeon post. I had to submit the names of said students to the CEO every week and he would determine, based on PAYMENTS OWING, who would be sent a warning letter and who would be let off.

Hmm,there was a fuss about this a few years back in Wollongong where the academic who "DARED suggest such TERRIBLE things" was vilified, if not sacked. Funny thing was, I was tutoring at another NSW university at the time, dealing with a number of OS feepaying students. Who thought they could stand over me to get better marks. We will leave that tale, er, twitching there...